Lawn-trimmer.



No. 650,883. Patented June 5, I900. S. WALTERS.

LAWN TRIMMER.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No-Hodel.)

W i lgc sscs No. 650,883. Patented June 5,1900.

- s, WALTERS.

LAWN TRIMMER.

(Application filed Jan, 80, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 650,883. Patented June 5, I900.

- S. WALTERS.

LAWN TRIMMER.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1899.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT omca SAMUEL WALTERS, or WARREN, PENusrLvANIA.

LAWN-TRIMM ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,883, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed January 30,1899. Serial No. 703,865. on) model.)

of operation as well as case of control or manipulation.

A further object is to dispense with certain elements considered essential in the prior construction by substituting therefor devices which have ball-and-socket connections that minimize the friction and wear on the parts and insure positive reciprocation of the cutter-bar without lost motion in the driving connections with the operating-shaft.

WVith these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully de-. scribed and claimed. j

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanying drawings,formin g a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lawn-trimmer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the frame-plate and lower part of the staff. Fig. 3 isa vertical longitudinal section on the plane indicated by dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the frame-plate and staff on the plane indicatedby dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective View, partly in section, illustrating the balland-socket connections of the pitman with the crank on the driving-shaft and the heel of the connecting-lever to the cutter-bar. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section through the staif on the plane indicated by the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed perspective views of the guides for the rack-bar that rotates the driving-shaft. Fig. -9 is a detail cross-section through the finger-bar and adjacent parts on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the machine coni-- plete. v

' Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several fig ures of the drawings.

' The frame 10 of my improved lawn-trimmer is skeletonized and cast in a single piece of metal for strength, simplicity, and lightness of construction. As shown more clearly by Fig. 2, this frame-plate consists of a front bar 11, two side bars 12, a middle bar 13, an arched rear bar 14, and rearwardly-extending arms 15, having the stub-axles 16 at their free ends. The front bar 11 of the frame-plate joins the side and middle bars 12 13, and in like manner the arched rear bar 14 unites the three bars 12 and 13 at the heel of the frameplate. The arms 15 extend rearwardly from and in line with the side bars 12,and the free ends of said arms 15 drop downwardly from the horizontal plane of the arms and are formed with the stub-axles 16.

The finger-bar 17 of my improved lawntri-mmer is cast in a single piece of metal, as partly represented by Fig. 9, so that the serice or plurality of fingers are integral one with the other, thus obviating the tendency :of individual fingers to Work loose and be caught in the grass which is to be cut by the trimmer. The rear edge of the finger-bar is ,formed ,With a series 'of lugs 19, which are overlappedjby thefront bar 11 of the frame plate, and said finger-bar and the front bar 11 are united firmly together by suitable means-as, for instance, by bolts or rivets, which should be countersunk flush with the upper face of the bar 11. The cutter-bar 21 is fitted snugly upon the bar 11 of the frameplate, whereby said frame-plate is adapted to serve as the support for the cutter-bar of the cutter apparatus. Thiscutter-bar 21 is also provided with a series of knives 22, which are,

made as integral parts of said cutter-bar, and at its rear edge this cutter-bar is provided with lugs 23, arranged to clasp the rear edge of the frame-plate bar 11, in order to guide the cutter-bar in its reciprocating movement on the ledger-plate and within the slots or kerfsofthefingers on the bar 17. At a point intermediate its length the cutter-bar is pro vided with a rounded stud 24, which extends upwardly for a suitable distance from the face of said cutter-bar, and this bar is normally pressed firmly upon the ledger-plate by the leaf-springs 25, which are fastened securely to the side bars 12 of the frame-plate and have their free ends arranged to overhang and engage with the cutter-bar 21.

The staff 26 is arranged in an inclined position to the frame-plate, and its lower end is beveled to rest directly upon and bear firmly on said frame-plate at the point where the middle bar 13 joins with the arched rear bar 1%. The joint between the inclined staff and the frame-plate is reinforced by an angular brace 27, which is cast in a single piece of metal with a longitudinal rib 2S. Said brace is fitted to the middle bar 13 of the frameplate and the front face of the inclined staff, and the frame-plate, the staff, and the brace are joined firmly and solidly together by bolts or screws 29, which pass through the brace, the bar 13 of the frame-plate, and the staff.

On the under side of the inclined staff is arranged the operating-shaft 30, the lower end of which is supported in a bearing 31, firmly secured to the staff near the frame-plate 10. The upper end of said shaft 30 is journaled in a bearing 32, secured to the under side of the staff at a point within or below the handle thereof. The lower end of said shaft 30 is formed or provided with a shoulder 33, arranged to bear against the bearing 31 and limit the movement of the shaft in one direction, and beyond this shoulder the shaft is furthermore provided with a crank-arm 34:, which at its free end is provided with a ballshaped wrist-pin 35.

A connecting-lever 3G is arranged in a horizontal position on the frame-plate and at one side of the inclined staff 26. This lever is fulcrumed at a point intermediate of its length, as at 37, on a strut 38 of the frameplate, and at its forward end said lever is formed with a slot or notch 39, that receives the rounded stud 2t on the cutter-bar 21, thus operativel y connecting the lever 36 and the cutter-bar. At its heel the connectinglever 36 is provided with a ball-shaped head 40, and said end of the lever is connected with the crank-arm 3a of the driving-shaft by a pitman ll. Said pitman is free from any connection with the staff or the frameplate, and at its opposite ends the pitman is constructed to form ball-socketsatl 43, which permit the crank-pin 35 of the lever 36 to extend through opposite faces of said pitmanthat is to say, the socket 42 at one end of the pitman is fashioned for the lever 3b to extend through the front face thereof, and the socket 43 at the opposite end of said pitman is fashioned for the wrist-pin 35 to extend through the rear face thereof. In the socket 42 of the pitrnan is loosely fitted the ball-head of the eonnecting-lever 36, and in the socket 43 is fitted in like manner the ball-shaped wristpin 35 of the crank-arm on the lower end of the driving-shaft 30. It will thus be observed that the pitman is connected directly to the crank-arm and the connecting-lever by balland-sockct joints, which serve to support the pitman in operative relation to the shaft and the connecting-lever independently of any support on the staff or frame-plate. Said balland socket connections minimize the friction and wear on the several working parts and obviate lost motion between the shaft and the connecting lever.

The joint between the staff and the frameplate is strengthened on the upper side by means of the angular brace 27, and the lower side of this joint is reinforced by the employment of an arched shoe 4%, which is arranged to inc-lose the crank and the inner end of the pitman, thus reducing the tendency of grass to lodge in the connection between the driving-shaft and the connecting-lever and interfering with or obstructing the free movement or play of these elements. At its rear end the shoe 4% is notched or cut away at 45 for convenient application to the staff without interference with the driving-shaft, and both ends of the shoe are flanged at 46 to bear firmly against the staff and the frame-plate, the shoe being fastened in place by means of the bolts 47.

Carrying-wheels 48 are fitted loosely on the stub-axle 16 of the frame-plate, and said carrying-wheels are of comparatively-large diameter to support the frame-plate in an inclined position with reference to the ground line, whereby the cutter apparatus is brought close to the ground for the knives 0n the cutter-bar 21 to closely cut the grass.

The cutter apparatus and the driving-shaft 3O therefor are operated by means of a bandle eff), which is disposed in a position at one side and lengthwise of the inclined staff 26. The general organization of the handle, the

1 staff, and the rack-bar in my present device is similar to the corresponding parts in my prior patented construction,and such arrangement is represented in a general way by Fig. 10 of the drawings. The lower end of this operating-handle is pivoted, as at 50, to a bracket-arm 51, fastened firmly to the staff 26, and near its upper end this operating-handle is loosely connect (1 with a clip 52, to which is pivotally connected a driving rack-bar 53. Said rack-bar is T-shaped in cross-section to form thereon a rib 54, one edge of which is provided with a series of gear-teeth, which constitute a rack, and this rack-baris guided or slidably supported on the staff by suitable devices for its gear-teeth to mesh with a gearpinion 60, secured firmly to the upper end of the driving-shaft 30. One support for the driving rack-bar is in the form of a guidebraeket 51, which is fastened firmly to the staff 20 in a position between the handle-bar and the staff and at one side of the path of movement of said handle-bar,and said bracket extends laterally from the staff 20' toward the operating-handle 40. The free end of this guide-bracket is provided with an angular flange 55, having a T-shaped notch 56, that opens through the lower edge of said flange. The other guide for the driving rack-bar is a plate 57, fastened to the staff 26 on the opposite side thereof from the bracket 54, and said plate 57 has a T-shaped notch 58, said plate being supported on the staff for its notch 58 to be in alinement with the notch 56 of the bracket 54. The head of the T-shaped rackbar is loosely fitted in the notches 56 58 of the bracket and plate, respectively, while the toothed rib of said rack-bar passes through the notches for its gear-teeth to mesh properly with the pinion on the driving-shaft 30. Said rack-bar has a limited edgewise movement in the guides when operated by the handle sufiicient to overcome any tendency of the rack-bar to bind in the guides. It will be noted that the driving rack-bar is pivoted at one end to the clip 52 on the operating-handle, and at the free end of this rack-bar is provided a removable stop-pin 59, that is adapted to .abut against the guide-plate 57 to limit the movement of the rack-bar in one direction When it is pulled outward by the operatinghandle 49.

In using my improved lawn-trimmer the operator grasps the staff 26 with one hand and the operating-handle 49 with the other hand. The trimmer is shoved over the ground by pressure applied to the staff 26, and the carrying-wheels 48 support the frame-plate in an inclined position to present the cutter apparatus close to the ground. By operating the handle 49 back and forth toward the staff the rack-bar 53 is reciprocated, and the shaft 30 is rotated for the purpose of operating the pitman 41 to actuate the connecting-lever 36, which in turn reciprocates the cutter-bar 21.

One of the important features of my improvement consists in the employment of ground or carrying wheels which support the frame-plate in an inclined position. This is advantageous, because it enables the operator to raise the frame-plate and the cutter apparatus at the desired distance above the ground, and by proper manipulation of the trimmer the grass may be cut close to the ground or at a suitable distance above the same.

The apparatus is light and easy to control, and the cutter mechanism may be operated at considerable speed by the handle 49, be cause the gear connections multiply or increase the number of strokes of the cutterbar as compared with the vibrations of the handle.

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isv 1. In a lawn-trimmer, a frame-plate provided with a front bar having a smooth upper face, and a finger-bar having its series of fingers formed integral one with the other and said finger-bar united to the lower face of said front bar on the frame-plate, whereby the upper face of the front bar is left smooth to serve as a support for the reciprocating cutter-bar of a cutter apparatus, in combination with a staff joined to the rear part of the frame-plate, an operating device on said staif, and driving connections between said operating device and the cutter apparatus, substantially as described.

2. In a lawn-trimmer, the combination with a cutter apparatus and an oscillatory driving-shaft therefor extending longitudinally of the machine, of a crank arm fast With said shaft and provided with a ball-shaped wristpin, a lever extending longitudinally of the machine and connected with one element of the cutter apparatus and having at its rear end a ball-shaped head, and a pitman extending transversely of the machine and unsupported between its ends and disposed be tween said driving-shaft and the lever, said pitman being provided at its opposite ends with sockets arranged to receive and incase the wrist-pin and the head of the connectinglever respectively,whereby a universal transverse connection is established between two longitudinal elements, one of which is rotary and the other vibratory, substantially as described.

3. A lawn-trimmer comprising anormallyinclined frame-plate supporting a cutter apparatus, a staif joined rigidly to the rear upper end of said frame-plate, an oscillatory driving-shaft journaled on the staff and having operative connections with the cutter-bar of said cutter apparatus, a guide-bracket fastened to and extending laterally from thestaff and having its projecting end bent to form an angular flange provided with a T- shaped notch, a guide-plate fastened to the stafi on the opposite side from the bracket and having in its free edgea T-shaped notch which is in alinement with the similarlyshaped notch of the bracket, a cross-sectionally T-shaped rack-bar slidably fitted in the notches of said bracket and plate and geared to the driving-shaft, and an operating-handle fulcrumed on the staff and pivoted to the rack-bar, substantially as de-- scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL IVAIJTERS. 

